Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is providing the majority of the project's funding through a $601,000 port security grant; ACTA is contributing the remaining $149,000 through matching funds.

Under terms of the TSA grant, ACTA has one year to build the security operations center, which will be located near Union Pacific Railroad's container transfer facility.

Early next year, ACTA officials plan to meet with railroad police and security consultants to define the project's scope, schedule and cost.

"Nothing could be more important than making an already strong security system stronger," said ACTA Chief Executive Officer John Doherty in a prepared statement.

Open since April 2002, the Alameda Corridor is a high-speed freight rail expressway connecting the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles with transcontinental rail yards near downtown L.A.